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Science Policy Internships

Application Information

Georgetown University's Program on Science in the Public Interest sponsors competitive science policy internships as learning opportunities for junior or senior science majors.

SPI students placed in Congressional or Executive Branch internships are not directly involved in any policy-making or lobbying activities. Congressional interns will be exposed to the work of Congress by assisting with administrative, legislative, and casework projects.

SPI students placed in advocacy organizations may be directly involved in lobbying activities while assisting with administrative and/or legislative responsibilities.

Interested students should contact Professor Slakey regarding opportunities and deadlines.

Current and Past Interns

Fall 2011 Intern
Maggie Wei.
Global Health Bureau in the United States Agency of International Development (USAID)

I was given the valuable opportunity of working in the Global Health Bureau in the United States Agency of International Development (USAID). As a Biology of Global Health major, I found this experience unique in providing enriching exposure to the global and public health aspects of the field. The internship offered a learning environment that not only differed from the common laboratories of hard science majors, but also further explored health policy as both an application and a science of its own. I worked on a variety of projects that demonstrate the scope of global health. I helped in developing health policy literature, studied the interaction of family planning compliance and HIV/AIDS prevention, and participated in the evaluation of international health partnerships of donor countries. Working closely with my mentors, I had the chance to draft congressional proposals, directly take part in meetings, research health policy literature, and evaluate ongoing projects. It was an honor to be treated as a valued member of the team, while these experts of the field would still guide me and eagerly share their knowledge. Access to the many global health lectures and resources also presented as exceptional opportunities for an environment to focus on these topics that may be limited in hard science academics. Through this internship, I come to appreciate the capacity of global health, whether it is the wide range of topics, the complexity of processes, or its indispensable importance in allowing an effective influence of science findings.

Spring 2011 Intern
Omar Maniya.
American Medical Association.

Fall 2010 Intern
Brittany Heckel.
U.S. AID.

As an SPI intern, I was afforded the tremendous opportunity to work in the Global Health Bureau of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Being a Biology of Global Health major, I was eager to apply what I had learned about global health in class to the real world. My coursework prepared me well for this opportunity, as I was able to work closely with experts in development and policy on some of today's most pressing global health issues. At USAID I was treated as part of the team, and the experts I worked with took the time to engage with me in active discussion of the global health field and valued my input as we worked on projects. With my colleagues help, I learned an incredible amount in my time at USAID. I adapted quickly to working in a professional setting, and, by the time I left the agency, I had helped to lead meetings, draft agreements, conduct analyses of foreign countries’ health policies, assist in the preparation of a press release for the Secretary of State, and coordinate the efforts of donor countries and organizations. To be able to assist with projects that could change the landscape of global health was an invaluable experience, and I was sad to leave at the end of my internship. I can truly say that my time at USAID was life-changing, making me more passionate than ever about pursuing a career in global health policy.

"As an intern sponsored by the Georgetown Program on Science in the Public Interest, I sought an experience that I wouldn't be able to find on campus itself. When this academic year began, I was a student looking for exposure to the field of global health, a subject almost completely neglected by my lab-centric biology classes."

"Now, after seven months of working at the National Academies Board on Global Health at the Institute of Medicine, I have developed a clear sense of the state of international health, the greatest threats to global health security, and where I might fit into the vast policy puzzle with my predominantly-cellular biology background. The two full days a week that I worked at the Institute of Medicine were the days that I always looked forward to the most. On those days I was no longer just a student, but a staff member who was expected to synthesize what I had learned about biology and infectious disease to supplement and enhance the work of Dr. Kelley and the Board on Global Health. This interplay between academia and policy was thrilling for me, and for the first time I could see my Georgetown biology education manifest itself in tangible and practical ways. I have since been offered a full-time position at the Institute of Medicine, working as the Senior Program Assistant for a subset of the Board on Global Health known as the Forum on Microbial Threats. A career in international infectious disease control is no longer a fleeting idea of mine, but the support and confidence of SPI have made it a reality for me and I look forward to an exciting future."